Hired last year to be an elderly woman’s caregiver, Helen E. Wettaufer, 61, of 222 Westland Ave., DuBoistown, stole close to $3,200 from the Fairfield Township woman’s bank account by forging and cashing 15 of her checks, state police alleged in court documents filed at District Judge Gary Whiteman’s office. The investigation began in mid-September when the victim’s daughter told police that her mother’s bank notified family members of “suspicious activity” concerning the mother’s account. The daughter reported that her mother “ordered a new box of checks, but that the entire box was now missing,” it was stated in an affidavit. Records showed the victim’s signature was forged on checks from June 29 to Sept. 14, and investigators allege Wettlaufer was the one who signed them. When questioned at the police barracks in Montoursville, Wettlaufer said “she had no idea about the checks being stolen. She did not know if she took any checks without permission or not,” the affidavit stated. Arraigned on felony charges of financial exploitation of an older adult and identity theft plus one misdemeanor charge of forgery, Wettlaufer has waived her preliminary hearing and is free on $15,000 bail.